The Legend of Chark Book One: Broken Soul
by Cutsceneaddict
Summary: Spyro wasn't the only dragon to be snatched away during the raid on the Dragon Temple. Now a slave to the apes living at Mt. Malefor, Chark-a young fire dragon-must find a means of escaping the cruel captors responsible for crippling his wings, and warn the Dragon Guardians of the Dark Master's wicked plan.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: This is one of my oldest fanfictions. Because of this, the writing style and skill level is below that of my more recently written fics. I wrote this about 5 years ago, when the _Legend of Spyro_ games were popular. It was originally planned to be a trilogy, with _Broken Soul_ being the first book, followed by _Restless Spirit _and _Free Will_. I don't know that I will ever complete the entire trilogy, as it's been 5 years since I wrote the original, but I hope you will enjoy what I _have_ written.  
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**With that said, enjoy! Just keep in mind that this isn't exactly up-to-par with my current writing capabilities.**

* * *

_The legend of the purple dragon, Spyro, is perhaps the most amazing known to the dragon race. An unassuming young dragon, he was rescued from death, raised by dragonflies, and learned the arts of the ancient ways of the Elders. When he aged, he would live to bring about the Dark Master's ultimate downfall and permanent destruction._

_Yet as marvelous as the legend of this remarkable purple dragon is, it is grossly incomplete without the life story of another such young dragon-a fiery, fearless little character named Chark._

_Like Spyro, Chark was also rescued from death before his birth by the most unlikely, brutish creatures imaginable. After that, he was enslaved by the forces of the Ape King and the Dark Master, where his wings (the pride of all dragons) were crippled beyond repair by the unfortunate and brutal treatment he received from his heathen captors._

_Due to his harsh past, Chark was a fiery, angry sort of dragon at times, but when love came into his life for the first time in the form of a beautiful water dragon, he found that his old nature began falling away from him and a new nature came into the void to replace it._

_Chark's tale is not one for the faint of heart. There is cruelty, evil, and terror within the passage of his life story. However, I encourage you to listen on, for with that darkness comes a light. It begins as a small light, but as Chark's story unfolds, the light blazes brighter until it becomes like a second sun._

_Listen on, young dragons, for his is a tale of valor, love, healing, vengeance, and the ultimate sacrifice-a tale of destiny and fate, redemption and death. Thus is the legend of Chark the Firedragon. Hark, young listeners, as his story begins to unfold..._

-Extract from the Volume of the Chronicler


	2. How the Conflict Began

How the Conflict Began

In ages past, the dragon races coexisted in peace and the Realm knew no war. Dragons learned to master the elements, each being born with a gift-be it fire, earth, ice, or electricity. Some even controlled the power of time itself. The elders were treated as sages for their great wisdom and abilities, and the young learned the arts of the ancient ways from them. However, never in the history of the dragons had there ever been a serious need for such training, for warfare was then an unknown thing.

A millennium passed and in that year, the year of the dragon, something unheard of happened-a purple dragon was born. Never had there been such an occurrence. Dragons had always been born with the color of their gifted element-green for earth, red of fire, and so on. Purple, however, was completely alien to all. The dragon prophesists searched the ancient scrolls of old in vain for any mention of such an occurrence being foretold. Not being successful in this search, but certain that this dragon held a special significance, the elders of the race began to raise the purple dragon, which they eventually named Malefor.

Under the guiding eyes of his mentors, Malefor was trained with the greatest degree of education and shocked the most sage-like of his teachers when one day he breathed fire. Many were quick to assume that this purple dragon was actually a fire dragon with an unusual body color; however, the older, wiser dragons only shook their heads and waited, not believing that the rare creature could be a mere fire dragon. In time, Malefor would master not only fire, but also earth, ice, and electricity. The elders knew then, without a shadow of a doubt, that their pupil held much promise and had some great purpose to fulfill. However, their thoughts soon changed.

Malefor grew older, stronger, and more powerful, and soon he was mastering elements that many had never even thought possible. Wind, darkness, poison-they all became his, and more besides. On more than one occasion, the elders met out of concern over the purple dragon's newly discovered powers and warned Malefor to cease from using some of them, for they were dangerous, and Malefor, now a fully-grown young adult, used them recklessly as if he had suddenly grown a thirst for power. However, any effort to stop him was in vain. Soon, the mighty purple dragon became his own master-harkening not to authority, and demanding leadership over the dragon race as though he felt himself to be superior over the others.

The elders knew that Malefor's power was limitless and that he was beyond their authority. They were left with no choice but to cast him from the Dragon Realm as an exile.

Livid with anger, Malefor winged off to the barren lands and set himself up as ruler, not over dragons, but over apes-the wild barbarians who had so often caused trouble in the Dragon Realm. There, among the mountains, he gathered the creatures to him, until he had grown an army of shocking proportions. So great was the power and hatred of Malefor, that an earthquake shook the face of the land-one so great that no other like it had occurred before or since that time. This phenomenon caused a great crack to form in the earth, and from this crack emerged a mountain-a mountain that the purple dragon vainly named after himself, Mt. Malefor. It was in this mountain that the apes would make their fortress, mining Spirit Gems (the life source of the dragons) for their power, and using the fuel for whatever their master bid.

The elders of the Dragon Realm knew that war was coming and that it was unavoidable. Wisely, but with much regret, they sent their forces to the mountain of Malefor, and there the first great war in the dragon history was waged.

Many were lost on both sides, but in the end the dragons managed the victory. A meeting between the elders and prophesists was held, and at last a decision concerning Malefor's fate was finalized. He was to be exiled again, but this time far more severely. He was to be sent to Convexity-a prison that could be reached only through a portal and was neither a world, nor a netherworld, but was considered by all to a be a terrible place of desertion from which there was no escape.

Shortly after his imprisonment within Convexity, the eldest of the prophesists, Baughulous the Sage, began to prophesy in an ancient tongue that few could understand. His words have nearly been swept away with the golden dust of time, but some still remain who can speak them as they were spoken long ago:

"_Malefor he was called, Malefor-bane of the wicked. Ah, but we were so blind to the truth of his dark heart, to his thirst for power...No more shall he be called Malefor, but the Dark Master, for it is a name more suiting to one of such low means. Ah, Malefor, would that thou hadst recanted of thy malice. Thy destruction do I foresee. Thou wert the first of thy kind-the first in the line of the purple dragons, but there will be others...one every ten generations...and the thousandth, Malefor, the thousandth will bring thy destruction. Beware of him, Dark Master, for thou shalt seek to have him destroyed. Yes, even before his birth, but thy efforts shall be in vain. In the year of the dragon wast thou born, and in that same year shall he be born. So is thy fate...It has been written...It can not be changed!"_

Millenniums passed, families died out, and purple dragons were born every ten generations, but none of them were the prophesied one destined to restore balance to the Realms. The elders studied the scrolls, searched the stars, and waited...waited for the special dragon to come.

The Dark Master was an ever-present threat. Though bound within Convexity, he too had heard the words spoken by the dragon prophesists of the past and he also waited, slowly counting the generations, and waiting for his moment to strike. The apes were out of his reach, but only just. They still followed his every word under the command of their Ape King, Gaul, who took orders directly from Malefor.

There was one way to escape the netherworld of Convexity, a way that the elders of old had overlooked. If another dragon, born in the Year of the Dragon, was to unite the four powers of the elders within Convexity, Malefor would be freed and one step closer to being released into the world.

So was the mindset of the Dark Master when at last the day came. In the Year of the Dragon, the prophesied dragon, still a mere egg, lay resting in the Dragon Temple along with many others who were hoped to hatch and bring forth the next generation of dragons. The four dragon guardians stood watch over them, each knowing the importance of the small life within the purple egg they kept vigil over. Each guardian, a fully grown male, stood ready and confident to defend the egg with his very life if need be. They had prepared. They thought they were ready for the storm.

Oh, how they were wrong.


	3. Raid in the Twilight

Raid in the Twilight

Ookgut Bigbone could feel his luck beginning to change. The big ape sat in the shade under a close-knit canopy of foliage, watching the rest of the ape army lounging around midst the branches and bushes of the deep green woodlands. Others had wanted Ookgut's spot for, aside from King Gaul's quarters, it was the coolest in the surrounding area, and it was a hot mid-summer afternoon; however, the massive ape had laid eyes upon the place and driven off its previous occupant. No ape, aside from Gaul, was more respected or feared in the army than Ookgut. In his younger years, he had been tall but powerfully built and nearly ripping with muscles. This reputation had earned him the name Bigbone. As the years passed, Ookgut grew in favor with Gaul and was eventually given a position akin to second-in-command. Unfortunately, with that position came many long years of inactivity. Ookgut never did any task on his own, but rather had those beneath his command perform it. He had little do to but sit around, sleep, eat, and order others to do his bidding. This inactive lifestyle caused Ookgut to gain weight until he had become very large in the gut, and weighed around 500 pounds.

Ookgut cast a wary eye over the apes sprawled about the forest floor. Even though he had lost his youth and form, he still held a powerful rank in the army, and he made up his mind to keep things that way.

Squinting against the pure flow of golden sunlight that filtered through the trees, Ookgut noted the position of the sun. The army had rested for nearly an hour now, an unnaturally strange length of time compared to the regular ten minute rests that the army was used to. Still, Ookgut was no fool, and he knew the reason for the rest: they were to launch an attack on the Dragon Temple in the dark of night.

It had all began about a week ago in Mt. Malefor when Gaul was given an important task by the Dark Master, though it seemed a bit strange to the inexperienced apes. Gaul was to lead his forces to the Dragon Temple and launch a raid upon it. The mission was relatively simple: capture one of the dragon eggs, bring it back to the mountain, and destroy the others. Like Ookgut and Gaul, many of the veteran fighting apes knew the reason for this strange quest-the prophesied purple dragon was about to be born! Malefor was determined to destroy him before he had the chance to fight back. At the same time, the Dark Master knew that he had to obtain a dragon in order to become his servant. Using this dragon, he could be released from his prison in Convexity.

Seven days and seven nights the apes had trekked under the leadership of Gaul. Now, just mere miles from their destination, a halt had been called. Many took advantage of this in order to get a final rest in before the raid began.

A thin, wiry-looking ape who served as Ookgut's personal servant, fanned him with a palm fraun to fend off the ever-pressing heat, "Iz 'ot noaw, ain't et Ookgut? I 'opes it cools soon."

Rashback, as the ape was called, was the one servant that Ookgut wanted around him constantly. He was sneaky and clever and always ready to please. Perhaps it because Rashback reminded Ookgut of himself in days past that Ookgut held him in such high favor.

After taking another cautious glance about the resting hoard, the fat ape lowered his voice as he addressed his servant, "Aye...idz much hot now, but I be much pleased sitting 'ere. Idz a good spot, do ye no' think?"

Rashback nodded eagerly, always willing to agree with his master, "Yis, idz a quiet place. Idz a good place, much good for 'olding secret talk..."

Ookgut showed no surprise that Rashback had read his mind. Instead he began to lay out what had so long been on his thoughts, "Listen 'ard, Rashback. 'Tis a much good plan I 'ave in me mind..." Suddenly, as if changing his thoughts, Ookgut dropped to a conversational tone, "Idz true that yer 'ate servin' at the wheel, ain't et?"

The "wheel", as the apes called it, was a special machine used to grind Spirit Gems, located in Mt. Malefor. It consisted of a rotating, metal centerpiece from which four, long iron bars extended. Each day, four hand-picked, strong apes were sent to the wheel, where it was their job to turn it from sun-up to sun-down with little rest. It was a hot, miserable task, and it was not rare for an ape to pass out half-way through the day from heat stroke. Often times, the wheel was used as a punishment for rebellious apes or other such "law-breakers".

In response to the question, Rashback spat angrily, "'ate is too nice a word, Ookgut! Idz the worst thing in my life. I'd likes to stick Gaul at the wheel for once, an' see 'ows he takes to et!"

Ookgut waved a warning arm, "Watch yer words, Rashback, or ye may find yerself servin' at the wheel more'n yer likes! Now yer'd better much listen to me-I 'ave a plan. Yer goin' to 'elp me. If et works proper, no ape will ever serve at the wheel agin!"

Suddenly, Rashback became entirely alert. Leaning in closing, he urged Bigbone on, "Now yer talkin' much good! Iz'll 'elp you accomplish yer plan. Tell me what yer plans to do!"

Ookgut rested his head on his fist casually, "Et works like this see: Iz been thinkin' a long time an' et just ain't right that apes should serve at the wheel. Why should our own fighters wear 'emselves much out when we could use other creatures for the job?"

Rashback was nearly dancing with excitement. He was beginning to see where Ookgut was headed with his scheme, but he held his silence and listened.

The fat ape tapped a finger to his head and winked craftily as though he had a secret to tell, "Tonight we make much big raid on the Dragon Temple. Gaul az been ordered to bring back an' egg to the Master while we destroys the rest of 'em, and so we will...all except one!"

Hopping from foot to foot, Rashback had a hard time keeping his voice down, "Yer goin' to steal yer own dragon egg an' use 'im to turn the wheel back at Mt. Malefor!"

Ookgut's massive gut shook violently as he gave vent to a deep laugh, "Harrharrharr! Yer a smart 'un, Rashback-itz why I like yer so much! We steals der dragon egg and escape the temple together with much speed while the rest are destroyin' the other eggs. When uz'ns get back to Mt. Malefor, we kin use der dragon to work the wheel for uz. He will be like my own personal slave."

Thoughtfully, Rashback went silent. After a few moments of hard thinking he began to speak again slowly as if searching for the right words, "The Dark Master ordered that all der eggs bes destroyed. How'll yer gets away with disobeyin' orders?"

Ookgut tapped the ground with a think, wooden cudgel that he always kept close at hand, "Itz easy! Iz like second-in-comman. Iz kin do what I wants! Gaul will eventually approve 'cause itz for the betterin' of our Spirit Gem production. Az fer the Dark Master, e's likely to approve because it will not waste the energy of his apes and will speed the rate of the Spirit Gem factory. I 'ears that dragons is three times az strong az a full-grown ape!"

"Itz settled then! Iz 'elps you steal der dragon egg, an' I don't 'ave ter work at the wheel-deal?"

The two spat on their hands and clasped them together in a hand shake of agreement, "Deal, yer little back-stabber!"

Dusk was beginning to fall quickly and a few early stars started to show in the bleeding of the setting sun. The deep green of the forest and the browns and blacks of ape hide were all bathed in a gentle crimson light. Over a nearby pool of glassy water, two butterflies floated in the sun's final rays and the soothing hum of some bees reverberated through the woodlands. The magic stillness of the scene worked its spell upon all of the apes. Rashback was already dozing, leaned against a large oak, still grasping the pawn fraun that he had been using. Ookgut was just drifting off into a dream when a peace-shattering roar rent the air in two.

"Gather your weapons, arm yourselves, prepare to march! We move in to attack the Dragon Temple now!"

Instantly the spell was broken. Apes screeched as they flung themselves from trees, hills, and rocks, each eager for the attack. Twigs and leaves came down in a massive shower around Ookgut as scores of the primates leaped from the foliage-some landing, others crashing. The clamor of metal armor and steel swords, clubs, axes, and all sorts of crude weaponry clashed in the air. Excited chattering and screeching ran from ape to ape as they conversed their plans with one another.

Ookgut was in no hurry. With his massive gut there was no possible way he could be. Slowly, he heaved himself upright on his long, thick war club, the weapon of his choice. Rashback was impatient to join the rest of the army and he showed it, but he waited on Ookgut before he made any attempt to move. Bigbone shook his head and the apes' ruckus, "Yer daft-'eads!" he muttered. "Do yer wants the whole Dragon Realm ter know what we're up to? Stow the gab!"

As if on cue, Gaul, the ape king, hit the scene. He was a fearsome sight. The commander of the apes stood a whole head taller than even Ookgut, and was draped in thick armor and brown furs. Gaul had two eyes, but only one of them worked properly. The other was completely green and filmed over. An early beam of moonlight glinted off of his double-horned Viking helmet as his duel swords flashed into view, "Silence you fools! Do you want the dragons to know we are here?"

Immediately, a hush fell.

Gaul fixed the on-lookers with a piercing glare of his good eye, "That's better! Get in your spots. Form your lines, useless rabble! Tonight we attack and we take no prisoners but one dragon egg."

There was a massive shuffling and stirring of dirt as the apes made hast to take up their positions. Rashback charged forward, taking his place up front alongside Ookgut. After the dust had settled and Gaul had approved of the army's formation, he gave the command in his gritty, near-toneless voice, "Move out! Keep your silence! Attack on my command!"

Slowly, but stealthily the army advanced.

It was deeply dark when at last the apes arrived at the walls of the Dragon Temple. Many stood in awe of the awesome site. It was a huge, ancient sort of work, complete with sentinel-like walls of stone, carefully crafted double-doors, an expansive high roof, and many, many statues of dragons, such as elders, prophesists, and purple dragons. All of the walls were etched with ancient dragon rune-mostly prophecies about future events and events that had been foretold and accomplished in the past. Towering mushrooms and swampy wetlands surrounded the area.

Rashback was shocked at the size of the colossal temple. He began to feel quite small and even a bit intimidated...Was it a trick of his eyes, or were all of the dragon statues suddenly watching him? Was it true that some dragons could turn themselves to stone and then back again?

His fears were forgotten when Ookgut prodded him and whispered in hushed tones, "Yer remembers our plan, right Rashback?"

Rashback nodded eagerly, "Yis, Iz remembers! Only there's one thing Iz likes to add to it..."

"And what be that?" The big one appeared startled at Rashback's sudden addition.

"Iz thinks Iz wants me own dragon too! I wants ter have a slave like my great master Ookgut! Asides...two dragons kin turn the wheel better'n one, yis?" Rashback chattered excitedly, though somewhat nervous that Bigbone would not approve.

Had Ookgut been in a different circumstance at the moment, he would have laughed himself to death at Rashback's undaunted straightforwardness. However, he subdued his laughter to a tight, rough chuckle and gave the smaller ape a hearty slap, "Yer a much little rogue! If yer sees a chance, grab yersel' yer own dragon egg, Rashback. As long as yer don't mess up our plans, yer kin do what yer wants."

Rashback rubbed his hands together in anticipation, "Heheheh...I can't wait ter get me own dragon..."

"Silence in the ranks!" Gaul's rasping voice quickly shut Rashback's mouth, "Listen carefully, because I will not repeat myself. We are about to enter a Dragon Temple. There will be many eggs to destroy and I have no doubt there will be fully-grown dragons to do battle with..."

The king watched the awkward, nervous shuffling among the army. He laughed mirthlessly, "What's wrong? Did you think we were putting on armor and sharpening weapons so that we could do nothing but destroy a few dragon eggs? Aye, there will be dragon guardians within the temple, protecting what we have come to demolish. Fight with them, keep them distracted, even kill if you see the opportunity, but target the eggs above all else. Once they are destroyed, our task will be complete. I will lead the charge into the temple and steal one of the eggs. The rest will be up to you. I will not be responsible for your lives. If you can not escape in time, then it is your own loss! Those are my orders: obey them!"

The ape army had stopped just a few yards from one of the temple doors. Unsheathing his two curved swords, Gaul swung them forward, roaring, "Chaaaarrrrge!"

The horde took off in a mad stampede. It was but the work of a moment to tear the doors down. Years of use and rust had weakened them considerably and a few slashes of Gaul's blades brought them crashing down.

The apes were in!

* * *

One of the four dragon guardians, Volteer, the master of electricity, stood watching the charge from a high temple window. Normally a cheerfully, joking fellow, he suddenly lost both these traits as he rushed from his perch, down through one of the temple's corridors.

* * *

Within the dragon nursery, the remaining guardians stood watch over the helpless eggs and the precious lives which they contained. The head of the guardians, a fire dragon named Ignitus, glanced longingly at the purple egg resting on a pedestal amid the calm pool of a fountain.

The other two guardians, an ice dragon named Cyril and an earth dragon named Terrador, stood in revering silence, watching to see what Ignitus would do.

At last the silence was broken.

"I fear for his life, Ignitus. Be a sensible chap! Heaven knows we can't hold off a full-forced attack." It was Cyril who spoke out in his thick British accent. Under most conditions, Cyril would have looked comical with his normally cheerful gaze, horn-tipped nose, and ice-encrusted body, but now he looked quite anxious.

Terrador, the strongest-looking and most thickly built of the three, defended Ignitus in his gruff baritone voice, "Do not question the motives of Ignitus, Cyril. He will do what is best for all of us. I will put my trust in him for he has never failed me. If he believes we should make a stand, so we shall." Terrador brought his club-tipped tail down firmly on the floor to emphasize his point.

Ignitus at last turned his gaze away from the egg and looked remorsefully at the two guardians, "Terrador is right. We shall not flee the temple and leave the eggs unprotected. If the situation grows helpless, I will abandon the temple and carry the egg to a distant land where it will be safe until our purple dragon is old enough to fight against the Dark Master."

Cyril submitted to the fire dragon's will, "So be it, Ignitus. Your words are wise and I will pay heed unto them."

Suddenly the nursery doors burst open and Volteer leaped in breathless and pale with fright, "Ignitus!"

Coming to attention, the powerful fire dragon stood to his full height, trying to remain calm, "What has happened, Volteer?"

"Save him!" The electric dragon gasped breathlessly. "Save him! The armies of evil are here! There are too many!"

Already, the sounds of a myriad of feet pounding down the temple halls could be heard. In desperation, Ignitus gazed at the other guardians and then at the egg and then back to the dragons, as if trying to find the words to express his thoughts.

It was Terrador's roaring voice that brought him to a decision, "Ignitus, go! We will hold them off. Save him! He is the one chosen to restore balance to the Realms. We will stay and make a stand to bide you time-hurry!"

Ignitus hesitated for one moment more, and then snatched the egg from its pedestal. Charging through the emergency corridor, he leaped out of an exit into the black night and began to wing off with his precious burden.

* * *

As the ape army began to near the nursery door, Rashback, who was in the front wave of fighters, was suddenly pulled back three ranks by Ookgut. Before he could impose questions, Ookgut was yelling down his ear, "Hang back a bit or yer destined to be takin' out by der dragons when we gets troo the doors!"

Rashback wisely heeded Ookgut's advice. Running side-by-side with his master, the younger ape remained in the fourth line. The first row of apes, led by Gaul, hit the nursery doors, and they crashed down with a choking cloud of dust and splinters...!


	4. Kidnapped

Kidnapped

The moment the apes began to pour through the nursery doors, Rashback was glad that he had heeded Ookgut's advice and hung back. The first five apes through the door were met with Cyril's ice breath-a force that left them nothing more than large chucks of oddly-shaped ice. Terrador, the sturdily-built earth dragon, brought down another half-dozen with a single sweep of his club-like tail.

Gaul had avoided both attacks and was already among the dragon eggs. Not being picky, he scooped up the first one that was close to hand, a goodly-sized gray egg. His mission being completed, he slipped by unnoticed through a back exit and into the darkness where he waited for the others to return.

Rashback made it into the nursery unscathed thanks to Ookgut, who dragged him everywhere he went. Many more apes became casualties to the powerful forces of the dragon guardians. Volteer brought down ten with a high-powered electrical attack, but soon found himself surrounded on all sides by the apes. He fought valiantly with horns, claws, and tail, but hemmed in as he was, he was soon brought down by sheer weight of numbers and beaten senseless.

Cyril saw what had happened. Cracking his tail down on a bothersome primate, he yelled urgently to Terrador, "Terrador, Volteer has fallen!"

The earth dragon delivered a strong head-butt as he roared out in his gruff voice, "Is he dead?"

Though the danger was terrible, Cyril never lost his comical British accent, "I don't know I-by the ancestors! Terrador stop them-they're destroying the eggs!"

The earth dragon turned in horror to see that the statement was true. Already, a dozen of the eggs' shells fragmented the nursery floor and the apes were in the process of stomping and throwing the rest.

"No!" Terrador was bursting with righteous wrath with the knowledge that he had failed to protect what had been entrusted to him. He romped forward on a group of apes, thrashing them down with a flash of earth breath.

Cyril's aim was good. Three primates were frozen solid from a distance as he charged in behind Terrador, "Cads, bounders, fiends!"

Ookgut vacated the area quickly, dragging Rashback with him. Leaving the rest of the army to fight with the two male dragons, he headed for a spot in which no eggs had been destroyed. Ookgut flung the younger ape forward at the eggs and charged in among them himself, muttering anxiously, "Be much quick now! Hurry, pick an egg an' let's git goin'!"

Rashback ran to and fro nervously, trying to pick an egg that he liked while, at the same time, doing it quickly.

Ookgut greedily snatched a deep red-colored egg, "Harrharr! Ain't et appropriate? Red's me favorite color...Hurry up yer liddle fool or we'll both get killeded!"

Bigbone's warning was reinforced by an ape that crashed into the wall close by after receiving a blow from Terrador's tail.

Suddenly losing all pickiness, Rashback picked an aqua-colored egg up and embraced it tightly as if afraid it would try to escape him, "Iz ready! Let's go, much fast!"

Ookgut held his egg in one hand and his wooden cudgel in the other as he charged towards the only quick exit from the nursery, "Hurrys up! If yer don't keep up, et ain't my fault!"

Unfortunately, the two were forced to get past Terrador and Cyril before they could reach the exit. Both dragons were preoccupied enough. They were swarming with apes that had crawled onto them and were striking at their scales, trying to bring them down. With an unexpected groan, Cyril went under the black mob.

Terrador bowled enemies from his neck as he thrashed it about wildly. Driven almost mad with anger, and knowing that he was destined to be brought down, he targeted the largest ape in his quickly-clouding vision-Ookgut. With a final roar, he curled back his head, and struck out in a low, powerful, sweeping movement. Many apes were floored like wheat before the scythe... but not Ookgut. As Terrador's thick head came within striking range, Bigbone gave it a sharp _crack_ with his wooden cudgel, completely snapping the weapon in two. The dragon's body swayed a moment, and then toppled over, flinging apes from his back and crushing a few unfortunate ones beneath him.

Like magic, all activity ceased and silence remained. The apes were obviously quite stunned at Ookgut's reckless action, but awed by his power. The big ape broke the silence with a snarl and he hurled his beloved cudgel (now busted in half) at Terrador's back. It bounced off harmlessly.

"Well, wot'r yer doin' stanin' around an' looking like numskulls fer? Finish destroyin' der eggs an' git outta heres!" He commanded angrily.

After the apes had resumed their mission, Ookgut beckoned to Rashback and the two made their way out of the nursery, through the temple corridors, and out into the still night. It was such a peaceful night that none would ever have guessed what a horrendous battle had taken place in the area. Crickets were out in force, chirping away, singing their poetry to the stars while the soft breeze carried their song through the limbs of trees and past columns of ancient stone.

Rashback began to slow up as if lulled by the beauty of it all. Impatiently, Ookgut waved a hand at him, "We're not stoppin' here! Let's git far out an' look at der dragon eggs what we's got. Don't let anyone else see 'em 'til we gits back ter Mt. Malefor."

Padding along two paces behind his master, Rashback followed Ookgut. The primate did not stop to rest until he had come to a high river bank, flanked on one side by thick woods, and on the other by a star-dazzled river.

Taking one final suspicious look around, Ookgut pulled the egg from his tunic where he had hidden it, "Yer sees? 'tis a nice one, an' red too. I allus did like red-'tis a lucky color yer knows. Quite big an much shiny too I see. Maybe iz a good sign! Me dragon's goin' ter grow up ter be big an' strong-strong enough ter turn der wheel fer a thousand years! How'd yer fair, Rashback?"

The smaller ape had had nowhere to hide his egg. He held it out into the moonlight so that the other could see it clearly, "Iz didn't have much time ter pick out a good egg. Iz jus' grabbed this 'un. Itz much smaller than yer's though, Ookgut, an' sorta much light blue."

Bigbone cast a critical eye over the egg and shook his head, "Hmph! Iz thinks yer picked der runt, Rashback. Der egg iz much small! Prob'ly not much good fer turnin' der wheel. Yer sures yer still wants it?"

Rashback had thought that the egg was nice, though he had to admit that Ookgut's was much larger and shinier. Suddenly, his opinion changed to match that of the other ape, "Hrm...Iz guesses Iz keeps it. Yer right though-much small, prob'ly not much use. Maybes it can be me's personal slave or sometin'. Me not much care about it though..."

Ookgut winked a knowing eye at the smaller ape, "Don't keep dat egg, Rashback. 'twil be a waster o' time tryin' ter make use of it. Prob'ly be a sickly thing anyways. Yer can still orders mine around-it'll be both our slave...but mostly mine, o' course."

Though there was some truth in what Ookgut said, there was also a bit of jealousy as well. The big ape was selfish, and the thought of being the only ape at Mt. Malefor to own a dragon appealed greatly to him.

Rashback sent his egg rolling down the bank side with a small push of his foot. A faint splash told the two apes on the bank that the egg had fallen into the river.

The smaller ape sighed, annoyed that he had gone through all the trouble of stealing the egg and it had turned out a "dud", "Weel, I guess we goes back ter der army now. Der prob'ly waitin' on us." he muttered.

Ookgut stowed the egg in his tunic again, "Yis, yer much right, Rashback. Jus' remember: not a word about dis ter anyone 'til I say! If'n yer wants us'ns ter have a dragon, then yer better not squeal ter Gaul or any others. Iz'll tell Gaul when we gets back ter Mt. Malefor. He will be much glad to have a dragon then!" As if having an afterthought, Ookgut added, "An' Iz'll have ter git me a new club. Dat stoopid dragon breaked me old 'un. He'll pay fer et someday!"

The two apes trotted off into the darkness.

* * *

Outside of the Dragon Temple, the surviving ape army gathered in ranks. Gaul prowled back and forth before them, listening to the tales they told:

"All der eggs was destroyed! We have served the Dark Master faithfully."

"Heheheh! Did yer see Ookgut fell dat big green dragon? Bet he won't wake up fer another season!"

"Yis, all der dragons was brought down-overpowered!"

Gaul stopped and turned his green eye upon the speaker, "Killed?"

The ape who had spoken looked down shamefully, "Weel...not quite killeded, Iz thinks. Jus' knocked out maybes...Iz don't knows."

Gaul snorted in ill-temper as he continued his impatient prowling. He was anxious to leave the area of the temple. Suppose that the dragons had allies close by who were on their way to give the dragons aid? Gaul was not eager to have another battle out on the swamplands. Still, he could not leave until...

"Where is Ookgut?" He snarled, "Is he dead? Mortally hurt? Lost?"

Before any of the primates could answer, the shadowed figures of Ookgut and Rashback came trotting out of the woods and into the moonlight. They quickly took up their positions.

Gaul fixed the pair with a piercing glare, "What kept you, Ookgut?"

Bigbone was a master of trickery and knew how to lie properly when the need arose, "Iz much apologize, great King. We saws one of der dragon's ally's scouts spying on uz from the distance. We 'ad ter go after 'im and finish 'im off sos he couldn't alert his army."

Gaul listened to the narrative, and then averted his gaze-a sign that Ookgut had been excused. Before he gave the order to move out, he issued a question, "Were all of the dragon eggs destroyed?"

The replies were eager:

"Yis-all of dems! I looked meself!"

"None left in one piece!"

"Der only egg left iz der one yer holdin' Gaul."

The Ape King looked down at the plain, grey egg in his hand as if to assure himself that it was still there. Then he posed one final question, "And the purple egg? It was destroyed?"

There was an odd silence. No one dared to speak for fear that they should be held accountable for something.

Gaul whipped one of his swords out, "Was the purple egg destroyed or not?"

Ookgut spoke up, knowing that he was the only one Gaul would not punish, "All of der eggs was destroyed Gaul. If der purple egg was dere, den it is in pieces now."

After a moment's silence, the Ape King sheathed his blade, obviously satisfied. He began walking around the army to get to the head of it, "Alright then, stand ready to march! Keep up! I won't be carrying you the length of the journey if you can't stay within the ranks!"

* * *

As the ape army marched off clamorously through the trees, a beautiful, precious new life arrived in the world. The egg which Rashback had kicked into the river suddenly cracked and broke apart as a small, delicate form sunk into the water. She was a petit thing, but very beautiful. Any other dragon born in a river might have drowned, but fortunately, this one did not.

She was a water dragon.


	5. Ookgut's Captive

Ookgut's Captive

Seven days and seven nights had the apes spent traveling to the Dragon Temple, and seven days and seven nights did the apes travel on their return journey to Mt. Malefor. Unfortunately, they were forced to travel swiftly with little rest. The Dark Master would want to know that the task had been completed, and he would want the stolen dragon egg brought to him as soon as possible.

Ookgut kept his dragon egg well hidden, hoping beyond hope that it would not hatch before the army reached the mountain. Likewise, Rashback kept true to his part of the bargain and never breathed a word of the secret to anyone.

At last, on the evening of the seventh day, the horde reached the foot of the mighty Mt. Malefor. It was a colossal and intimidating sight, even to the apes who deemed it a home and a place of daily toil. It rose tall, spiked, and wide towards the heavens until it was lost in the high clouds of the night sky. Green lava of some dark poison flowed from its peak as strong, icy winds blasted the hardy apes. Occasionally, veins of lightening arched across the skies, shooting between clouds like electrical wires.

Gaul waved the horde on as he marched ahead of them, "After we enter the mountain, return to your barracks. Those of you who are overseers of the mining of Spirit Gems, get to your tasks immediately. I will be in my chamber. Do not disturb me!"

A single glare of Gaul's green orb told Ookgut that perhaps now was not the best night to inform the Ape King about his dragon egg. It was likely that Gaul was planning to have an interrogation with the Dark Master himself to see what was to be done with the captured dragon egg he had taken.

The army entered the mountain and dispersed. Ookgut beckoned to Rashback and the two wound their way through the network of hallways and passages. The air was dank and musky and dark. The passages were only illuminated by lanterns hung upon the black walls, along with the sturdy support beams which ensured there would be no chance that the roof could collapse.

Going ever upward, the two could hear the familiar _clink_ and _clank_ of mining tools in the chamber nearby, where workers collected Spirit Gems and added them to the conveyor belt. This conveyor belt would carry the gems further along the mountain where others, further along the line, would modify them and prepare them for whatever the Dark Master bid. It was this same conveyor belt that was powered by the infamous "wheel".

At last, finding his bed chamber, Ookgut stepped in and Rashback followed. Bigbone was in a high position of authority and it showed. Only Gaul had better quarters in the entire mountain. While most apes slept in small, dirt-floored rooms with straw mats, Ookgut rested in luxury.

His room was covered in black marble and hung on all sides with banners that displayed symbols of the Dark Master. Pillowed chairs made of dark mahogany and gleaming tables on which sparkling fruit set caused Rashback's mouth to water. However, Ookgut's pride and joy was his bed chamber.

At the back of the room stood two, strong, marble pillars and between them hung a privacy curtain. Pulling aside the veil, Ookgut stepped into the bed chamber. To say that his bed was large would be an understatement. It was enormous! The framework and ornate decorations were all made of pure silver and the sheets were dyed a deep red color and trimmed with gold tassel. Ookgut flung himself upon the bed and relaxed against one of the five enormous pillows that were scattered there (Ookgut demanded lots of pillows). Taking out his precious dragon egg, he rested it upon the bed beside him.

Rashback stared in admirable silence as Bigbone helped himself to a nearby bowl of fruit that was resting upon a glass table, "Ah, 'tis good ter have me old bed back! Yer sees, Rashback? 'Tis a good thing I gots der red egg. Matches me bed, yer see? 'Asides...red's me favorite color."

Twidling his hands anxiously, the small ape asked, "When's yer gorna tell Gaul 'bout der egg?"

Ookgut bit into a sour piece of fruit and spat it on the floor, "Hmm... Iz gonna wait, Rashback. Gaul's not ter be disturbed tonight! It kin wait one more day. Here, 'ave yerself some vittles!"

The other ape caught the apple as it was chucked to him. He bit into it reflectively, "Wot yer gonna name et?"

Ookgut stopped eating and looked puzzled, "Wot?"

Rashback rephrased his question, "Wot'r yer gonna name der dragon?"

The big ape laid back thoughtfully, "Iz don't know. Iz never thoughts about it 'afore...Tell me Rashback, wot der dragons do?"

The smaller ape shrugged, puzzled by the question, "Dey flys an' breathes fire, Iz guess."

Ookgut's eye drifted to the embers of the dying fire that was built into the far-side of his bed chamber. He looked, thoughtfully, for a moment, and then burst out laughing hysterically, "Harrharr! Charcoal! Dat's wot we names 'im-Charcoal! Wot d'yer think Rashback?"

"Itz a perfect name, Ookgut! Sounds dragonish, but stoopid too. He gots ter have a stoopid name sos we kin poke fun at 'im when he grows older."

Ookgut nearly choked on his fruit, "Harrharr! Yer da clever one, Rashback! Yis, we haves ter be able ter tease et somehow."

The two were laughing uproariously at their own joke, when something happened that stopped them both.

_Crack!_

Ookgut's gaze shot to the dragon egg on his bed-spread. A huge crack had split the egg down the middle.

Rashback took a step back and gasped as the egg continued to crack further...and further! Even Ookgut, unsure about this new life, found himself scooting backwards slightly on his bed.

The egg toppled onto its side and went still.

The two apes remained frozen as still as statues as they watched the egg with bated breath.

Suddenly there was a small noise-somewhere between a squeak and a growl as a little clawed foot shot up through the shell. The rest of the egg fell apart quickly upon the bed spread, leaking fluid upon the sheets and revealing the strangest creature that either of the onlookers had ever seen.

It was a baby dragon-a male that was the same deep red color that his egg had been. The creature had enormous wings that were unnaturally large for its size and two golden horns that also seemed a bit big for the dragon's tiny head and muzzle. The dragon was still covered in egg fluid and it was lying quite still. It hadn't moved since it broke through the shell.

Without a word, his curiosity getting the better of him, Ookgut cautiously reached out his foot and shook the small creature, thinking that it might be dead. Quick as a bullet, the little thing's eyes shot open and turned his gaze upon the large foot before him and the ugly creature it belonged too.

Even at a young age, dragons know an enemy when they see one. With a babyish growl the dragon wobbled forward and bit into Ookgut's foot tightly, refusing to let go.

With a howl of pain, Bigbone shook his foot, trying to detach the small creature that was hanging there like a leach, "Owowowow! Don't jus' stand there, Rashback! Git dis thing offa me! Ooooooow!"

Rashback sprang forward, grabbing onto the creature's body and pulling backwards. For a few seconds, the little male dragon clung to Ookgut's foot, but he at last let go so suddenly that he and Rashback toppled over backwards onto the marble floor.

Bouncing off of Rashback's stomach and flopping onto the floor, the little dragon stood up again upon shaky legs and snarled at the two apes.

Ookgut snatched a nearby pillow and held it like a shield, his voice shaky, "Iz didn't know dat dragons was so fierce! D'yer think et kin breath fire an' fly too?"

Rashback scrambled upright, away from the little creature, and hid behind the bed, "Iz not know. I think ets too small but Iz don't know fer sure!"

The small dragon had its mouth open and was emitting small, sharp panting sounds, as though it were threatening to breathe fire. The creature took a shaky step forward, tripped over its over-sized wings and fell flat on the floor.

This seemed to dispel some of Ookgut's fears. He waved a hand urgently to Rashback while keeping an eye on the dragon, "Quick! 'and me that fruit bowl!"

The ape passed him the object that he desired-a deep, glass fruit bowl. Ookgut snatched it impatiently.

The dragon took another teetering step forward and tripped again. Like lightening, Ookgut hurled himself from the bed and slammed the bowl overtop of the red dragon, trapping it underneath where it snarled and clawed aggressively.

Holding the bowl in place with both hands, Ookgut turned beseechingly to Rashback, "He's a fighter an' no mistake! Be much good fer turnin' der wheel when he gets older."

Rashback was still too stunned by the unlikely spectacle to think about the wheel. Panting hard, he gasped, "Wot we gonna do with et? Tie et up?"

The glass bowl that Ookgut had slammed over the dragon had been chipped slightly at the bottom upon impact, providing air for the dragon to breathe. Reaching for a small but weighty statue, Bigbone placed in on top of the bowl and gingerly let go.

It worked nicely. The red dragon pushed and shoved and clawed, but to no avail. He wasn't strong enough to escape from beneath the weight resting on top of his prison.

Ookgut stood, hands akimbo, and nodded his head decisively, "Dere! Dat's where we keeps him! How'dre like that, me liddle Charcoal?"

The dragon snarled.

Ookgut laughed cruelly.

"He'll git used ter et. Et's where he'll be stayin' for awhile yet. Weel, Rashback, Iz've had enough fer one night. Iz'm goin' ter bed an' yew better too!"

Rashback looked disappointed. He had been hoping that Ookgut would let him stay in the bed chamber with him. If not, he would be forced to sleep in a cold, dark room with other apes who often teased him for his shortness.

Bigbone seemed to notice the crestfallen look on his follower's face, "Alright then-fine! Yer kin sleep in 'ere tonight! Sleep on der floor an' keep an eye on liddle Charcoal. Here, take dis!"

Ookgut flung the bed spread that was still covered in egg fluid at Rashback. The young ape caught it awkwardly and spread it on the ground. He didn't mind the mess it was covered in. Anything was better than sleeping in a small, dark room with ten other smelly apes!

In a matter of minutes, the lights were dimmed, and the fire in the corner slowly smoldered out. It was a chilly night-as nights in Mt. Malefor often were. Ookgut lay stretched out on his bed, surrounded by pillows and covered with three thick sheets, his mouth gaping open as he snored horrendously.

Rashback tossed and turned upon the floor, trying to keep himself warm with the bed spread that he had been loaned.

In his glass prison, the red dragon lay huddled up. He had quieted down sufficiently, but an intense hunger and the bitter coldness caused him to start whimpering softly. In vain, he curled up until his tail touched his muzzle, but still the chill continued to nip at him. His whimpering increased until it became very audible.

Ookgut was awakened in mid-snore by the high-pitched whines. He turned over and tried to cover his ears with a pillow, but it was all a wasted effort. Sitting upright, he snarled bad-temperedly, "Shuddup, Charcoal! Shuddup I says!"

Hearing the ape's voice, the dragon snarled angrily and then went silent.

Ookgut snorted and lay back down. Soon, he was snoring again.

The little dragon settled back down again, whimpering softly to himself. Following his instinct, he began making short, gasping sounds, trying to breathe fire and warm his body. No fire came from his mouth, but he did begin to feel quite warm. It was a fortunate action that saved him from freezing to death on the cold stone floor.

Then, silently, he slipped into the calm realm of sleep. He was a young dragon, on his own in a strange place, surrounded by evil creatures, and deprived of the caring treatment he deserved to receive-and would have received-had he been born in the Dragon Temple.


	6. Cynder: Pawn of the Dark Master

Cynder: Pawn of the Dark Master

An entire week went by. Ookgut still had not told Gaul of his newly-hatched dragon, but he had his reasons. Firstly, Gaul was in a bad mood of late, always keeping to himself and pondering things over in his mind. It was rumored that he and the Dark Master had been conversing every night... but again, that was just a rumor. The second reason was that Charcoal was still quite small. If Ookgut presented nothing but a dragon whelp to Gaul, claiming that their problems with the wheel were over, it would be nothing more than a wish for humiliation. Thus, Bigbone decided to wait until the time was ripe, and let Charcoal grow a bit, before he brought him before Gaul.

A strange new work had gone underway the very night that the apes returned from the raid. Under orders from Gaul, the apes were to dig a deep pit outside of Mt. Malefor, and fill it with a special mixture of various ingredients. Many were puzzled at the move, and Gaul never told any of his followers the purpose of his orders. Some of the apes thought it had something to do with the King's suspicious meetings with the Dark Master, for only the Dark Master could give such mysterious orders. Nearly all of the ingredients placed within the pit were deadly, poisonous substances, and once a few apes even saw Gaul pour the contents of some foreign vial into the murky green mixture.

Seven days later, they would be kept in suspense no longer.

* * *

Ookgut was startled one night by an ape messenger. He was just dozing off to sleep in his ridiculous bed (and Rashback was also just dropping off) when a knock sounded at the door.

The fat ape groaned in agitation and rolled over, "Go much away! Can't yer sees that ets der middle of der night!?"

Without paying heed to Ookgut's complaining, a crude ape voice called from beyond the door, "'Tis Gaul's orders, Ookgut. 'E sez ter meets out by der pit at der base of Mt. Malefor. All der apes bes waitin' dere, sos 'urry up! We can't start der ceremony widout yer."

Ookgut heaved himself out of bed, his curiosity aroused by the use of the word "ceremony". He thumped Rashback with his foot, "Git up off der floor! Dere waitin' on us!"

Rashback rose half-heartedly, muttering, "What about der dragon?"

Charcoal had grown slightly, as young dragons do in their first week, but he was still of no impressive size, and still small enough to fit under the glass bowl that he was currently imprisoned beneath.

Ookgut took one look at the scowling dragon and shrugged, "'oo cares? He's not goin' anywheres! Yer worryin' too much, Rashback. Now hurrys! We gotta make much speed!"

Charcoal snorted angrily as he watched the two apes lope through the bed curtains and out the doorway. He was older now, stronger too. Perhaps now he would be strong enough to escape his small prison...

* * *

Ookgut and Rashback were greeted with a curious sight once they arrived at the great greenish lake beside Mt. Malefor. Nearly every ape in the army was there, standing around the pit and whooping and chattering with anticipation. Even non-ape creatures like Death Hounds and Dread Wings were present. All of them fought for a front-row position as if the greatest spectacle in the Realm were about to happen.

Even Ookgut, as high in authority and intimidating as he was, was forced to nearly fight his way through the crowd in order to see what was about to take place. Rashback scrambled up onto his shoulders to get a better view. Most of the time, Bigbone detested this, but right now he was so focused on the scene that he didn't mind much.

The green poison in the lake bubbled and let off steam. The entire lake reeked of an unnatural, musky order-an order quite like death. Overhead, the lightening that was so common to the area put on one of its most intimidating displays of power; this was a good thing, for there was no moon out and the lighting was needed.

Ookgut noticed that a long, iron rod had been secured in an upright position at the lake's center. He was beginning to wonder what it was for when Gaul's voice broke the silence.

The Ape King had positioned himself on a boulder so that he could be seen by all. He gestured to the green poison fuming in the lake, "Tonight, every last one of you shall witness the power of the Dark Master!"

Gaul was holding a length of chain in his hand. He gave it a quick jerk, pulling a small female dragon from the shadows. She was a blackish-purplish color, a week old, and very terrified. Her pitiful whimpering was drowned out by the clashing of thunder.

Gaul gestured to a nearby Dread Wing and its rider. With a quick flap of wings, the monstrous bat took to the air, swooped down, snatched the length of chain from Gaul, and flew off towards the lake with the small dragon dangling in the air.

Every eye was on the bat and the baby dragon. An awed silence possessed every viewer.

Once the Dread Wing reached the lake's center, the ape rider hastily tethered the dragon to the iron rod with the length of chain. Glad to have its task accomplished, the bat and rider returned to the shore to watch the spectacle.

It was indeed a piteous scene to watch. Any creature with a speck of pity in their heart would have done anything to rescue the baby dragon from its horrifying position, but the apes had no compassion.

The young female dragon was about a week old, and, though small, had learned to fly at an early age. Still tethered to the iron rod, she flapped about crazily, first one way and then another-each time jerked back to her original position as the chain went taunt. The female squeaked in panic as a sulfurous mix of green gases shot up at her from the lake, engulfing her entirely.

The apes were cheering wildly, though half of them knew not why, because nothing extraordinary was happening. Rashback was also caught up in the wild uproar, but Ookgut remained quiet and watched contentedly, convinced that something far more impressive was in store...and it was.

* * *

Within Ookgut's bedchamber a second surprise was in store, not for the army, but for Bigbone and his crony. Charcoal had escaped! The small dragon, though only a week old, had gotten much stronger since the day he was first trapped beneath the fruit bowl, and he knew it. The moment that his captors had left, the small dragon went into a frenzy, beating the walls of his prison with his ever-developing horns, scratching at it with his claws, smashing it was his tail, and constantly emitting the sharp panting sound; Charcoal had tried to get his wings into the action, but they were so oversized that he could not lift them yet. At last, within the space of a few minutes, he was rewarded to hear the heavy statue on top of the fruit bowl fall to the stone floor and shatter. Then, with a single upward swing of his horns, he flung the bowl from off the top of him. He was free!

Some in-born, babyish sense told Charcoal that he was in danger, but more powerful than this sense was his natural curiosity. Rather than run away, the baby dragon found himself snooping around the bed chamber, nudging mysterious things that he did not recognize and sniffing others.

A small growl issued from him-a fascination that startled the dragon because the sound did not come from his mouth. Then, Charcoal found that he was suddenly quite hungry, and realized that this strange new sound must somehow be associated with hunger.

The red dragon knew that he had to find food, but where? His small eyes scanned the room until they came to rest on a shiny fruit bowl atop a table that was filled to the brim with sparkling victuals.

With a tiny squeak of delight, Charcoal charged forward, brandishing his horns, and smashed into the table. The glass bowl teetered a moment and then came crashing down, shattering in pieces and spilling assorted fruits all over the floor.

Finding a fruit that had been partially smashed upon the ground, Charcoal lunged over to it and experimentally lapped a bit of the leaking juice. Growling with the delight of the pleasant taste, he soon began to demolish the rest of the fruit.

Just after he had finished his meal, the dragon was surprised by a loud noise, or rather, a series of them. It sounded like many voices and came from somewhere below his position on the mountain.

Scrambling up onto Ookgut's high bed using some hanging bed sheets, Charcoal ran across it and made a daring leap to the window sill nearby. Barely managing to grip the edge of the sill, the small dragon struggled for a minute, and then pulled himself up.

With a curious squeak, he gazed down at the vast green lake far, far below. It was from there that all the shouting seemed to be coming from. Charcoal could see small, dark specks surrounding the putrid waters, and figured that they must be apes. At the center of the lake, he thought he could see some small object flitting about weakly, but he was unable to determine what it was. Suddenly, there was a deafening _bang,_ and a powerful flash of green smoke shot up from the lake. A large, sleek shape could be distinguished through the smoke, and there was an unearthly screech-a screech that Charcoal recognized to be another dragon, and a very large and unfriendly one at that.

* * *

Ookgut and all other apes near the edge of the lake recoiled in horror at the sight, nearly trampling each other in their fight to back away from the monster that had emerged.

The "monster" was indeed the same baby dragon that had been chained to the rod, but by some unearthly means it had suddenly been transformed into a monstrous, sleek, fully-grown female. A few flaps of her powerful, tattered wings cleared the thick smoke, allowing the apes to gaze upon her full form. The dragon was midnight-black, with large pointed horns, and a whip-like tail surmounted by a silver spike. Odd markings covered her shoulders and back. In another, more friendly-looking dragon, these designs could have been seen as beautiful, but in this one it only added to the horror and awesome terror of the beast.

Gaul gave vent to a deep, guttural laugh, "Behold, my apes, for you look upon Cynder: Pawn of the Dark Master!"

With a powerful twist of her long neck, Cynder snapped the chain tethering her to the iron rod. Then, she took to the air, sending out great blasts of wind down on the terrified apes with her powerful wings. Primates scattered as the female dragon landed upon the ground before Gaul. She lowered her head, leering mockingly at the trembling army in a voice as smooth as wafting silk, "What's wrong? Do you fear the power of Cynder?"

She laughed in malicious pleasure as apes fell whimpering to their knees in naked terror. Even Ookgut Bigbone seemed hugely intimidated by the dragon. Primates fled as Cynder cracked her spike-pointed tail at them.

When the apes had given the dragon what she deemed to be a considerable amount of free space, Cynder turned to Gaul. Executing a graceful, but sinister, bow of submission, she asked sibilantly, "Speak, King of the Apes. What does the Dark One command?"

Gaul felt slightly intimidated by the power of Malefor's new servant, but he never showed an ounce of this, "The Dark Master commands that you bring the four powers of the dragon guardians to Convexity. Only then can he be freed to return to the Dragon Realms."

Still bowed, the sleek dragon hissed, "How shall I do it? What must be done to accomplish this task?"

"Soon my apes will lead a war against the dragon guardians. We will not kill them, but capture them alive. Then, we can bind them within the four power chambers of the Realm and harness their abilities. Once we have acquired the needed amount, you will carry a capsule of that power to Convexity. You must not fail this task or you shall face dire consequences."

Cynder brought her sleek head forward so that she was looking eye-to-eye with Gaul, "I am the only chance you have of releasing the Dark One. Am I not born in the Year of the Dragon? I shall not fail this mission, and even if I should, I will face no 'consequences' from you, O King of the Apes." There was an almost mocking tone in her voice.

Turning, the large female flapped her powerful wings, letting lose a deathly screech, "I shall be roaming the mountains if my Master needs me." Then she took to the air and vanished into the night.

* * *

It was two in the morning when Ookgut and Rashback at last made it back to the bedroom. Both apes were silent and walked as if in a trance. When they at last reached the chamber, they slumped into two separate chairs and sat, staring blankly as though dead. Ten minutes later, Ookgut broke the silence with a low gasp, "By der Master's horns, Rashback! I ain't ne're seen a dragon what was so much big an' terrifyin'! Iz thinks Gaul's gone over 'iz big 'ead this time! Iz knows Iz wouldn't want ter be in charge of such a much big beast!"

Rashback looked as though he had been through a living nightmare, "Yis, yis, yis! Iz hopes Iz never sees dat Cynder dragon agin! She tried to eats me Iz thinks!" he said, trembling and holding the chair arms in vice-like grip.

Ookgut seemed to be a little more recovered now. He tapped a finger to his head, "Don' be goin' daft, Rashback-dragons don't eat apes!"

"But they kin much fry 'em wid der breath!" Rashback shot back, "Iz tells yer, she was thinkin' 'bout burnin' me ter a crisp. Iz could see it in 'er eyes, Iz could!"

Bigbone held his head up and nodded sagely, "Keep outta her way an' she won't fry yer den!" he said impatiently.

Rashback trembled with nervous energy, "Ookgut, Iz jus' gorra thought! Wot if our dragon grows ter be dat big? It could burn uz ter bits!"

Suddenly, Bigbone sat upright, "Speakin' of der dragon, where is 'e?"

A quick glance at the scattered fruit and broken glass upon the floor flashed a neon warning at Ookgut. The big ape hauled himself upright as he looked around panic-stricken, "Dat rotten liddle mite! Where'd he go? Much quick, Rashback, help me finds 'im!"

But there was no need.

A clicking of claws upon stone, a growl of urgency, and a disappearing flash of red told the two apes that Charcoal had just bolted out of the door.

Ookgut's chair toppled over as the fat ape charged after the dragon. Rashback was far more agile, and could have caught the dragon easily, but unfortunately the larger ape got in his way and blocked his passage out of the narrow doorway.

The small dragon was running helter-skelter down the dark, descending passage that led from the chamber. Ookgut squeezed through the doorway, pointing and roaring as he gave chase, "Quick now, Rashback! Catch dat liddle runerway!"

Fast as a cheetah, the smaller ape shot down the tunnel after the tottering baby dragon and leaped at him. Charcoal might have been caught then and there, but he took a quick glance over his shoulder and missed his footing, an act that caused him to fall flat. Rashback went sailing by overhead with a distressed _yipe!_

Charcoal rose to his feet hastily. Rashback had also regained his footing, and Ookgut was coming at the dragon from the other direction. Charcoal was trapped on both sides; however, he was not ready to give up yet. There was a small side path that led into the center of the mountain. The dragon turned and bolted down this new escape route.

Ookgut managed a victorious grin through his hard panting, "Harrharrharr! We gorr'em now, Rashback! That's a dead end 'e's headin' to! Gett'im!"

Soon Charcoal also figured this out. He had just given a cocky growl at his pursuers when he found himself at a rock wall. Frantically, he tried to find some way through-a hole or something-but he found nothing. As the two apes approached him, the dragon lowered his head and tried to lift his wings, his mouth gaping open and emitting sharp panting sounds.

Ookgut was agitated beyond words when he saw Rashback come to a halt just mere feet in front of their quarry, "Wit ails yer? Why'd yer not catched der dragon?"

Rashback never turned away from the small red creature. He sounded nervous, "Iz thinks itz might breathe fire on me or somethin'. Iz don' wanna git burneded!"

At last, the fat ape caught up with his crony. Shoving him scornfully aside, Ookgut outlined his plan, "Alright den-here's what we does. When Iz says 'now', we both jump on der dragon an' pin 'im down. Den we kin tied 'im up wid dis rope Iz brought along, yer savvy?"

Rashback gulped and braced himself, "Jus' don't make much bigga leap on der dragons horns. They much much sharp!"

Ookgut waited a moment, and then roared, "Now!"

Confusion followed.

Rashback sprang forward, missing his target entirely and careening into the rock wall. Bigbone lunged forward, but the small dragon ducked beneath him and the fat ape crashed into the smaller one, causing even more confusion.

Snorting in ill-temper, the little dragon backed off hastily, put his head down, and made a wild charge at the two entangled apes. It is said that sometimes warriors in combat "feel" rather than "see" attacks coming at them. Of Ookgut, it can certainly be said with great accuracy, that he "felt" rather than "saw" Charcoal's horns collide with his hindquarters. It was an injury that would cause Bigbone to use a cushion for months.

With a wolf-like howl of pain, the fat primate shot off of Rashback, who also began to yell for no apparent reason besides panicked confusion. Then, seeing his next available target, Charcoal flung himself upon Rashback, biting into the ape's tail.

A couple of apes in a nearby room were trying to get some sleep. They listened curiously, but not at all alarmed, to the yelling and thumping that was going on outside of their room.

One of the apes turned over with a very bored air, "Sounds like Ookgut an' his liddle runt are havin' quite a night."

"Iz tinks dat it be's all dat weird fruit what he eats. Prob'ly makin' 'im much crazy in the head. Iz always said dat fruit wuz bad fer yer!" inputted another

Rashback ran around in circles, screaming as Charcoal bit onto his tail. Ookgut had recovered somewhat from his wound, but was livid with anger at his embarrassing injury. Lifting a powerful fist, he brought crashing down on the small dragon, knocking him out instantly.

Rashback continued to run around in circles and scream frantically, completely unaware that Charcoal had released his grip on the ape's tail.

Ookgut watched the spectacle stupidly for a moment and then roared agitatedly, "Oh, shaddup, Rashback! Der dragon's not bitin' yer so s_haddup!_"

Rashback's screaming faintly died out and his feet slowed as realization hit him. He looked at the limp form of Charcoal sprawled on the ground, "Oh...sos yer knocked der dragon out, eh? He's ain't dead iz 'e?"

Ookgut snarled angrily, "Der shoopid liddle runt stabbed me in der..." he left off what he was saying, thinking it best to change the subject. "No, he's not dead, but Iz so mad now Iz wish 'e was! Iz've had enough of dis! Tomorrer, we takes 'im ter Gaul."

Rashback looked shocked, "But 'e's still so much small. What've Gaul thinks he's jus' useless?"

"Den we gets rid of 'im!" Bigbone snorted, "We'll let Gaul dercide dat though. Come on, help me tie der liddle rat up!"

The two apes bound Charcoal's claws and muzzle so tightly that he couldn't even move. When they returned to the bedchamber, they tossed him into a closet and locked the door tightly.

Ookgut nodded decisively, "Dere, dat'll do et! Now let's git some much rest!"

* * *

Laying in the darkness on the closet floor, Charcoal fought his bonds in vain. He tried to whimper through his muzzle, but found it useless. At last, tiring himself out thoroughly, he lay still on the floor and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

In his dreams, Charcoal floated in a golden mist through an ancient building-a temple it was, but he did not yet know it. He saw many mysterious faces-a wise fire dragon, a grinning electric dragon, a strong earth dragon, a comical ice dragon. All of them came and went, fading in and out of the mist.

A small female dragon loomed up through the golden fog. She was small and frightened, "I'm sorry. I cannot stop myself. Please, help me! Help me!" she cried. Then she began to change into something great and terrible-a monstrous black dragon that also vanished into the mist with a terrible screech.

Charcoal saw two more faces emerge from the mist of time. One was a young, purple dragon, friendly of face but brave in spirit. The other was also a purple dragon, but it was tall and foreboding. The very essence of evil seemed to radiate from its figure. Its eyes pulsed red in the dismal gloom as it gave vent to a deep guttural laugh. Then Charcoal heard a voice.

"_Watch for these faces, young dragon, for they are to be your greatest allies. But beware the last face which you saw, for it is he who seeks to destroy you and these others. Be brave, young dragon. Soon enough, your bonds will be loosed. I am the Chronicler. We shall meet again."_

* * *

Charcoal slept peacefully for the remainder of the night, but in the morning he had no recollection of the dream.


	7. Crippled

Crippled

Charcoal awoke with a surprised, but terribly muffled, squeak, as the closet door cracked open and let in a small sliver of light which fell on his face. Blinking against the light, the young dragon tried to remember where he was. So much had gone on the previous night that he was very confused. As he tried to rise and totter out into the light, he realized that his limbs were bound tightly. Everything suddenly came back to his memory.

Seeing a small silhouetted figure framed in the door-light, he growled threateningly.

Rashback watched the pitiable red form on the ground before him where it squirmed and hissed angrily. Without turning around, the ape called, "Ookgut! 'e's awake noaw! Are yers ready ter takes 'im ter Gaul?"

From somewhere behind Rashback, Charcoal heard another voice respond, "Quit rushin' me yer runt! Iz bes finishin' me breakist!"

* * *

It took Ookgut another half-hour to finish his beloved job of eating. Rashback tapped his foot impatiently, "Kint we go noaw? Iz gettin' all nervous an' tingly standin' here waitin' ter go. Iz'll tell yer, Iz'm scared o' Gaul, an' Iz not lookin' forward ter dis. Wot if we runs into dat Cynder dragon?" This last statement sent the small ape into near panic, and his voice rose to a high-pitched squeak.

Carelessly standing up from the table he had been sitting at, Ookgut knocked the chair over clumsily and belched without shame, "Yer scared out o' yer wits about dat Cynder dragon, ain't yers? Let me tells yer sometink den... Iz tinks dat Gaul bes scared of her too. Iz'll doubt that we run into her. She can't fit in the narrow passages of der mountain anyhow."

Terror rushed from Rashback's face and he sighed in relief, "Oh, yis. Yers right! She bes too much big!"

Shoving his crony aside, Ookgut thrust his massive bulk through the closet opening to where Charcoal lay. The dragon flew into an uncontrollable rage when the fat ape picked him up by the horns, and he swung helplessly in his grip like a snared rabbit in the hand of its trapper. Being carried this way didn't hurt Charcoal physically, but deep within his babyish mind it wounded him mentally with embarrassment. Somehow, though he was too young to truly understand dragon customs, the dragon knew that he shouldn't be handled like this, and that it was disrespectful and insulting.

Ookgut laughed crudely at his prisoner's angry snarls and claw-swipes, "Look at 'im! 'E wants ter fight! Well noaw, you keep up dat show when we gets ter Gaul, alright me liddle Charcoal? Den Gaul'll see 'ow tough yer is an' want ter keep yer ...but if'n 'e don't, then we has ter git rid of yer, see? So keep snarlin' an' carryin' on like a proper liddle killer an' we won't 'ave to chuck yer off der top of der mountain. 'Ow does dat sound ter yer?"

Charcoal made another swipe and his captor with his sharp claws and Ookgut barely avoided the attack. Still holding the dragon by the horns, the fat ape called to his follower, "Bring me dat sack, Rashback!"

Rashback knew what was coming. Hastily retrieving the item, he brought it to his master and held the mouth open. Without a second's warning, Ookgut shoved Charcoal into the sack and the other ape tied it shut.

Flinging the wriggling sack across his broad shoulders, Ookgut nodded to Rashback, "Right den, dat'll keep everyone we pass from suspectin' anythin' odd. Come on noaw, an' let's git this over with!"

* * *

The throne room of Gaul the Ape King was unsurpassed. It was made up of a long hall with tapestry-and-banner-draped walls and an evily ornate tile floor. At the end of the hall, facing the entrance, was Gaul's throne-a massive, over-exaggerated piece of dark work with a seat so wide that there was room for two apes to sit upon it. The back of the throne rose high into the air until it almost touched the ceiling, and the seat was coated with brown and black furs, similar to the ones that Gaul himself wore. Behind the throne, the room ended in a semi-circle that was made up of three large windows. Through these, the outside of the mountain could be seen. Lightening flashed and rain pattered the windows behind the throne, giving Gaul's intimidating seat of power an even more sinister appearance to any who happened to enter the hall.

The monstrous, black dragon, Cynder, lounged behind the throne like a sleek serpent with her head protruding around one end and her tail snaking around the other. She and Gaul were in deep discussion, though there was obvious dislike shown by each for the other.

"Tell me again when the raid will start," the female hissed curtly.

"Two days from now. I will gather my army together and we shall wage war against the four dragon Guardians. We must capture them and drain some of their power in order to release the Dark Master." Gaul gave Cynder a meaningful glare of his green eye, "And we are not to fail."

The dragon flailed her spiked tail before the king's eyes, "I will not fail him. If there is any failure, it will be due to your leadership and blundering followers, mighty Gaul."

The big ape had taken much taunting already from Cynder, and his temper was all but ready to snap. He fingered his sword dangerously, "The Master sees all the works of his followers. If there is failure, he will know who to attribute it to."

Cynder laughed mirthlessly as she slithered out from behind the throne to face Gaul, "And if I _should_ be at fault, what can the Dark One to unto me? Kill me? Killing me would destroy his last hope of escape from Convexity. Only I can release him! Will he try to punish me then? Perhaps he will injure me? No, mighty Gaul, for injuring me would only lessen my chances of releasing him. Of course, Malefor cannot let failure go without punishing someone, and if I cannot be punished, the blame will fall upon you." she sneered.

Gaul looked as though he were about to draw his sword; Cynder crouched down in a lunging stance. A fight may have broken out had not a knock on the throne room double-doors interrupted the scene.

Gaul called out gruffly, irritably, "Who goes there?"

The voice that answered was muffled, but easily recognized, "'Tis me, Ookgut. Open up der doors, Gaul. Dere's somethink important I has ter show yer."

Cynder slithered back behind the throne as Gaul answered, "Then enter, and be quick about it!"

Ookgut turned to Rashback, giving him a last minute warning, "Remember, leave der talking ter me. Gaul respects me, yer knows? 'E'll listen ter me, so don't try ter interrupt nothin', d'yer hears?"

Rashback nodded spastically.

As if by magic, the large double doors creaked open. Rashback let out a petrified squeak at the sight of Cynder standing behind the throne, but Ookgut strode forward, trying to look confident and unafraid.

* * *

It was an eerie moment as the two apes ambled slowly down the hall, their feet making hollow padding sounds that echoed throughout the room. Rashback hid timorously behind his master, hoping that the dragon had not noticed him. Vivid likenesses of the Dark Master upon the wall hangings fluttered and waved in a mysterious cold wind. A lightening flash silhouetted the throne and the two sinister figures as Gaul called out sarcastically, "Ookgut, you could not have picked a more inconvenient time. We were in the middle of discussing important matters. I hope, for your sake, that this 'something important' is not a waste of my time."

Ookgut waited until he was standing right in front of Gaul before giving his announcement, "O, powerful Gaul, our troubles wit der wheel bes over!"

The Ape King never blinked, never moved, as if he were surprised at the bold statement and had expected to hear something totally different, "Ah, I see. Perhaps this will not be an entire waste of my time after all," he muttered audibly, trying to sound uninterested, but truly wondering what Ookgut's solution would be. Though Gaul would not confess it, he too had been pondering the situation with the wheel over in his brain. It wasn't that he cared for the well-being of his troops or anything, but his followers _were_ beginning to complain about the inhumane conditions that came with "working the wheel." Unfortunately, Gaul had not had the time to come up with any reasonable solutions to this problem, but now here stood Ookgut claiming that their troubles were over. Perhaps the Ape King's luck was beginning to take a turn for the better!

Before Ookgut could explain further, Cynder cut in with a menacing growl, "What is this that you have brought unto us? I sense the presence of a like-blooded fellow-beast! How dare you-!"

"Silence!" Gaul's sword flew from its scabbard, "This is not your business, Cynder!"

"Fool!" The dragon hissed, "Don't you realize what it is that he's bringing to you?"

To stall any further angry words, Ookgut unshouldered the wriggling sack and held it out before Gaul, "Dis is der answer what we been seekin'!"

Ookgut paused for extra effect, and let Gaul inspect the wriggling sack longingly, before he continued, "Noaw don't be too 'asty ter judge 'im, Gaul. In a few years, he'll be much big! Den our problems will bes over forever!"

Before Gaul had time to think about what sort of creature Ookgut had in the sack, the fat ape reached his hand deep into the bag and pulled Charcoal out by the horns. The tiny dragon gave muffled growls and kicked about wildly, angered at again seeing the ugly faces of his captors and the two new intimidating faces of Gaul and Cynder.

For a moment, Gaul was shocked into silence, but Cynder reacted. Illuminated by a lightening flash, the sleek female shot forward at Ookgut and gave a splitting screech, "Traitors! Fools! Why have you disobeyed the command to destroy all the eggs? Do you not realize that you hold a devastating creature in your hands-a creature with unimaginable powers that will someday turn against us all? There is only one penalty for treason...! Aagh!"

Gaul's blade shot forth a bolt of green electricity which enwrapped Cynder and sent her writhing to the ground with an unexpected roar. Even after the green waves had vanished from her body, the dragon remained on the ground, too weak to rise.

Gaul laughed maliciously, "You are not in command here, she-dragon! Hold your tongue unless what you say is worthwhile."

Then, turning his green eye upon the two apes and their captive, Gaul commanded with an unexpected easiness, "Set it down and lose its bonds. I want to see if what you say is true."

Ookgut was somewhat taken aback by his King's commands. Gaul had neither been angry at having his orders disobeyed or made a mock of this proposed solution, as odd as it sounded. After loosing Charcoal, the fat ape took a wise step back and the dragon sprang to life in a whirl of gleaming horns.

Ookgut tried to explain his scheme while keeping a whether eye on his slave, "I calls 'im Charcoal. On the night of der raid on der Dragon Temple, Rashback an' I stoles him and hid him in me room fer about a week. E's still much small noaw, but soon he bes much mucha big. E's der answer ter der wheel problem Gaul. When 'e grows, he'll be stronga den four apes put tergedder! 'E can pull der wheel fer life, an' our troops can be spared. Dat, an' it'll stop any mutiny from rising ups. Iz hears dat dragons live fer 'undreds of years so we'll probably never need anodder wheel-turner again. What yer says, Gaul? Does it not sound much good ter yers?"

Gaul seemed hardly to be listening. He was watching the small dragon on the tile floor before his throne. It didn't look like a very strong creature at the moment. It was tottering and stumbling with those enormous wings getting in its way constantly. And yet it was fearless and spiteful in attitude-something that Gaul loved to see in a creature. Charcoal was circling about, watching all four of his foes at that same time. He held his head low and constantly emitted the sharp panting sound as he tried to breathe fire.

The Ape King quickly changed what he was going to say as a new thought struck him, "Can the dragon fly or breathe fire? Will it ever? I can not have a dangerous creature working this fortress."

Ookgut was doing his best to be fawning, but feared he was failing, "Er... wells... I don't tink sos. 'E can't do either of dose tings noaw, an' wid dose enormous wings, I doubt 'e'll ever fly..." he stammered.

"He has unnaturally large wings. But never fear, he will learn to use them _and _breathe fire someday!" Cynder had recovered enough to lift her head from the stone floor and she laughed mirthlessly at the apes who were all ignorant in the ways of dragons.

Gaul looked somewhat disappointed though he tried not to show it. After a moment of deep thinking, he shook his head, "No, I can not have such a creature in the mountain-get rid of it!"

"Yes, get rid of it!" Cynder echoed hatefully, "Just as you should have a month ago!"

Suddenly, something in Gaul seemed to snap. He had a realization that perhaps Cynder was really lying about the matter of the dragon. She was probably just trying to make things harder on him and wanted to arouse mutinous feelings within the ape hoard at the continuation of the wheel. Maybe the dragon never would be able to use its wings or breathe fire. Thinking back, Gaul remembered hearing a rumor about dragons-something to the extent that they usually don't learn to breathe any kind of breath unless trained to do so by an adult. This final thought settled the matter.

"Wait!" he roared at Ookgut, "I've changed my mind-the dragon will serve at the wheel. It's an excellent idea. I always knew that I could depend on you Ookgut."

The two primates were taken aback by Gaul's hasty change of mind, but Ookgut tried to look confident, "Iz knew yer'd approve, Gaul. 'Tis a wise action made by a cunning King of der Apes! Truly, yer has der right ter dat title!"

Laughing deeply at this turn of flattery, Gaul laid out his thoughts, "You speak well, Ookgut, and because of that I will leave the dragon in your charge. How you treat it is in your hands. I only ask one thing-you must not kill it. Starve it, beat it, do whatever you must to get it to submit, but don't injure it unto death or else it will be of no use to us. Over time and months of hard use, I believe that the dragon's wings will become useless-damaged beyond repair-crippled. As for it ever breathing fire, I think it is unlikely. Dragons do not usually learn such an art unless they are taught by an elder." Here Gaul leered mockingly at Cynder, "Do I not speak truly, Cynder?"

Realizing that Gaul had seen through her lies, the black dragon flew into a rage. Still paralyzed, but gaining her strength back quickly, Cynder failed out with her spike-like tail, striking Charcoal. The small red dragon squeaked in pain and rolled a distance, landing in a heap with his wings tangled about him.

Gaul was ready to rush upon the female dragon in cold-blooded rage, but strangely it was this same female dragon that stopped him.

Cynder's voice was spitting venom so full of anger was it, "There! I have crippled his wings for you! I hope you find pleasure in your decision, O King of Apes. Someday you will look back and curse the moment you decided to spare this whelpling's life! He will turn against you-against us all!"

Without a further word, Cynder lunged toward the back windows, spread her wings, and burst through them in a rain of glass shards, screaming, "You'll see! Someday you'll regret this!"

There was a long pause after that. The heavy, thumping beat of Cynder's retreating wings at last faded, and rainwater began to slant in through the shattered windows, smacking the floor with a light, eerie beat. Gaul appeared unshaken and unchanged in his thoughts despite the cryptic warning of Cynder. A flash of lightening glinted off of his horned helmet as he turned to Ookgut, "I am Gaul, King of Apes, and I do not make mistakes. The she-dragon is a fool! Pay her no heed!"

Charcoal whined softly as he became untangled from his large, now holed and mangled, wings. His wings stung badly with a constant pulsing sting that burned like fire. They hung limply at his sides and ached as he dragged them along the ground, making walking a painful chore.

There was not a scrap of pity in any of the apes' hearts. They saw Charcoal as nothing more than an advantage waiting to be taken. He was no more a creature with feelings or emotions than a rock or a blade of grass was.

Gaul sheathed his sword decisively, "It is settled. Take the dragon to the wheel immediately. Everything else is up to you, only remember my order-do not let it die."

Ookgut tried to execute a bow but was stopped short due to his monstrous bulk, "Thank yers forever, great Gaul! We shall not fail yers!"

And with that, the two apes left the throne room.

* * *

Weeks would follow, and those weeks would turn into months, and those months into years. Yet between Cynder's and Gaul's prediction, the black dragon's was fated to prove true.


	8. The Bondage Begins

The Bondage Begins

Charcoal's wings were ruined beyond repair. The wide, sweeping, golden wings which would have been the pride of any dragon, and the envy of many others, were no longer a thing of pride, but of humiliation. Aside from the now-tattered, ugly look of them, Charcoal's wings hurt him badly with a throbbing, stinging hurt that rendered walking, or any other chore which required his wings to be dragged along the ground, impossible. That day, as ordered, Ookgut had taken the small dragon to the wheel, but soon realized that it was a wasted effort. Charcoal was hurting to badly to pull it. Each time the creature tried to walk, it yelped out in a pitiable whine of pain that, what most would have heard as heart-rending, was, to Ookgut, annoying. Thus, for the sake of his patience, and Gaul's order not to injure Charcoal unto death, Ookgut kept the dragon in his room for the remainder of that day and let it rest itself.

* * *

The next day, Charcoal's true bondage began, starting, as usual, with Ookgut snatching him out of the closet by his horns and carrying him proudly down the musky halls of Mt. Malefor to the wheel. Charcoal growled, scratched, and panted sharply the entire length of the journey, and was occasionally given a cuff from Ookgut for his insolence.

"Shaddup yer liddle runt! Be's lucky dat Gaul wished ter keep yer. If'n dat Cynder dragon 'ad her way, you'd still be dropping from der top of Mt. Malefor. Dat is, if'n yer weren't bein' roasted in its lava!"

With an overly-dramatized sweep of his arm, Ookgut thrust open the rusted double doors which led into the circular room of the wheel. Within, four apes, each at a pole, were exerting all of their effort to turn the massive iron center-piece, constantly moving around and around. They stopped as the doors slammed open and the fat ape strode boldly in, holding up his slave like a hunter with a prized rabbit, "No more worries have yer, apes! Dis is der liddle dragon whelp yer've been hearin' so much about. He's 'ere ter take over yer jobs. Ain't dat nice of him?"

Word of Ookgut's dragon slave had been circulating throughout the mountain since yesterday morning. It had been the talk and gossip of every creature. Some of the apes praised Ookgut for his cleverness, others (mostly those who did not like Ookgut) thought him a traitor for disobeying Gaul's orders to destroy all of the dragon eggs. Nevertheless, every ape agreed on one thing, and that was that the concept of his idea was good. Now no ape would ever be forced to serve at the wheel again. Or, at least, for many long years.

The four apes that had been turning the wheel looked at Ookgut, and then at his dragon, and then at each other as if trying to read into one another's thoughts before speaking. All at once, they grinned wolfishly and began to whoop in laughter, flocking around Ookgut to take a closer look at the dragon.

Charcoal growled hatefully and swiped at an ape who had pulled his tail in curiosity. Bursting with pride, Ookgut let the apes admire his servant for a few more minutes before he announced, "Stan' aside an' let me hook der dragon ter der wheel!"

Like faithful hounds, the four apes romped around Ookgut as he carried Charcoal over to the wheel and attached him to an iron harness. At first the dragon was furious at being so tethered, and he fought against the harness, running about in all directions and trying to break free. Because of this action, the wheel was being turned in both directions alternately and getting nowhere.

Losing his temper, Ookgut gave his slave a kick that sent him going in the right direction, "No, no, no! Yers spost ter move dat way!"

But instead of doing as commanded, Charcoal again turned around angrily and made a lunge at the fat ape. Ookgut backed smartly out of range. The small dragon lowered its head and snarled at him.

Ookgut was in trouble and he knew it. Why had he not foreseen such a difficulty? If Charcoal refused to turn the wheel or didn't cooperate, then the scheme was destined to be an absolute failure; worse than that though, was the knowledge that he, Ookgut Bigbone, would be the laughing stock of the apes for scores to come. He would be looked back at mockingly as "the dragon tamer" or "the dragon master" or some other such term that, in this case, would be used mockingly.

The fat ape racked his brain for a solution. There had to be some way out of this difficulty! Fortunately, Ookgut was cunning and an idea, though a simple one, at last came to him.

Turning to the four apes, he commanded bluntly, "Does any of yose have rope?"

The primates blinked stupidly at one another for a few moments. At last, one of them began to undo a length of rope that was wound around his belt. Ookgut snatched it impatiently. Then, without another word, he strode over to Charcoal.

The dragon snarled nastily as he noticed Ookgut striding boldly towards him. Nonchalantly, the fat ape again kicked his servant in the wanted direction. Ever rebellious, Charcoal immediately whirled around in the opposite direction and charged Ookgut, who was now easily within his reach.

_Thwak!_

Charcoal halted and cringed as the rope cracked down on him. Yet as soon as he had stopped, he was up again and about to strike when the rope came down a second time.

_Crack!_

Now enraged and stinging from the blow, the dragon snarled and, in his dizzying confusion, tripped over his crippled wings. Wriggling out from beneath them, Charcoal came at Ookgut again. Another blow came down ...and another. This process was repeated several times, and it was beginning to look like neither the slave nor his master were destined to gain the victory. Scores of strikes came down on the red dragon, and, just as many times, he got up and tried to attack again.

But, finally, there came a time when Charcoal lunged forward, Ookgut brandished the rope, and the dragon halted, lowered its head, and panted sharply in a threat. The fat ape cracked the rope forward, not to actually strike his servant, but to see if he was submitting. Charcoal wriggled backwards out of the blow's reach, but made no further move-no charge, no growl, no nothing.

Smiling with triumph, the fat ape kicked the dragon in the correct direction for the third time. Charcoal growled, but did not fight like he did previously. However, he was determined to have the last word. Looking back at Ookgut, the dragon gave a menacing snarled and was struck again by the rope for his impudence.

"So, yers finally gonna give in ter me, eh? Dat's what Iz likes ter see! Noaw git movin'!" Ookgut ordered harshly.

With a snort of rebellion, Charcoal obeyed.

His master watched, hands akimbo with satisfaction, as the wheel began to turn correctly and efficiently. Ookgut turned to the four apes and nodded arrogantly, "Dats how yers deals with dragons! Teach 'em ter mind yer!"

Handing the coil of rope to its owner, Bigbone commanded, "Keep an' eye on 'im, just in case 'e gets rebellious agin! An' iffen he does, yer knows what ter do! Iz'm gonna go take me nap." Without another word, Ookgut left the wheel room and began his ambling waddle back to his bedroom.

Ookgut had to admit that he was surprised by Charcoal's strength. The dragon was barely ten days old, and yet he had grown considerably and had immense strength for his age. He pulled the wheel about as though it weighed a fraction of its mass. He was doing the work of four apes! Ookgut began to feel apprehensive. If Charcoal was that strong now, how much more powerful would he be ten years from now? Or worse, as an adult? What if the dragon really did turn out to be a threat to the mountain, as Cynder had foretold? Charcoal would not soon forget the cruel treatment of his master, and would certainly pay back the favor if ever opportunity let him. Ookgut actually shuddered at this thought, but dismissed his fears as he stepped into his bedroom. He would worry about these matters later; besides, it would be a long time before Charcoal grew to be an adult.

* * *

Ookgut settled down for a quiet nap. After that, he decided, he would have a snack, followed by another nap, and, of course, more snacks after that.


End file.
